Well Durham might not hold on to their title but they have at least ensure that the three-way contest between Notts, Somerset and Yorkshire to decide who succeeds them is destined to be nerve-jangling one.

The denouement will be fascinating because of this unlikely handsome victory over the pacesetters that was finally secured when Phil Mustard caught Steve Mullaney off Scott Borthwick's bowling to round off a brilliant match that secured Durham's top-flight status as they finally played like champions. Pity for their fans that they left their best almost till last.

16.50 from Andrew Collomosse at Lancashire v Hampshire

That’s it. Hampshire are finally all out for 405. And Jimmy Adams was the the last man to go, caught by wicketkeeper Gareth Cross off Kyle Hogg for 194.

The stats speak for themselves: Adams batted for 635 minutes, the longest innings of the season, and faced 507 balls. And to think he made 196 last time out against Yorkshire at Scarborough!

Adams was within a whisker of becoming the 17th Hampshire player since the Second World War to carry his bat and the first since 2007, when Michael Brown scored 56 out of 115 against Durham at Riverside. He and Danny Briggs added 88 in 43 overs for the last wicket, leaving Briggs unbeaten on 19.

So Lancashire need 168 in 33 overs to seal what at one stage this morning threatened to be a straightforward victory. It’s all to play for.

15.05 from Rob Stewart at Durham v Notts

There has been a fair amount of doubt as to how Mark Wagh was dismissed by Ian Blackwell – caught behind, lbw and caught by silly mid-on were the guesses.

But what is not in doubt is that Nottinghamshire are deeply in trouble and now only Ali Brown and Chris Read stand in the way of a defeat that will blow the race for the title wide open with Yorkshire and Somerset ready to take advantage of an slip-ups.

14.55 from Andrew Collomosse at Lancashire v Hampshire

Hampshire battle on! Lancashire supporters lunched happily enough, assuming that the arrival of last man Danny Briggs at 12.18pm with the score on 317 for nine marked the beginning of the end for Hampshire with their lead just 79.

Instead, there’s been a growing sense of doom and gloom among the Red Rose faithful since the interval thanks to a last-wicket stand between the indefatigable Jimmy Adams and left-arm spinner Danny Briggs.

They ground their way to a 50-partnership in 24 overs and, apart from a tough chance offered by Briggs to Steven Croft at second slip, have offered Lancashire little hope of a breakthrough. An unlikely draw? Don’t rule it out.

14.17 from Rob Stewart at Durham v Notts

No he didn't succeed in getting a hat-trick but there is clearly no holding Harmison back because after being hit for a couple of runs he has now dismissed Patel to make it three wickets in four balls. Panic stations for Notts. Can visiting skipper Chris Read come to the rescue?

14.16 from Rob Stewart at Durham

It's all going horribly wrong for Notts because Ben Harmison is now on a hat-trick after Voges went for a golden duck. can he do it?

14.15 from Rob Stewart at Durham v Notts

Alex Hales has been a thorn in Durham's side all season thanks to his batting exploits and a controversial T20 catch here in Chester-le-Street and just when it looked as though he was ready to inflict more grief on the locals he's been caught in the slips by Michael Di Venuto off Ben Harmison.

13.55 from Rob Stewart at Durham v Notts

Sadly my hopes that Notts might go for it and have a right crack at the daunting 391-run victory target do not look as they will come true because the pacesetters seem to be digging in for the draw despite Ben Harmison's efforts to lure them into a false sense of security.

12.30 from Rob Stewart at Durham v Notts

I reckon that Notts could have become the victim of their own success because Phil Mustard set the leaders an almost impossible target 0f 311 for victory.

But the early departure of Liam Plunkett who headed to the pavilion after opening the bowling with an ankle problem and the expensive efforts of Ben Harmison suggested that Notts might have a chance of recording a victory that would all but give them the title.

12.30 from Andrew Collomosse at Lancashire v Hampshire

A truly monumental effort here from Jimmy Adams, the Hampshire opener. At the start of play, he had already spent 6hr 34min at the crease for his unbeaten 110 and he has continued to withstand everything Lancashire can throw at him.

At the start of play, Hampshire led by 37 runs with five wickets in hand and the feeling was that Lancashire would probably roll them over fairly quickly. Not a bit of it!

Despite losing Michael Bates, Dominic Cork and Chris Wood, all clean bowled by Tom Smith, Adams has ground remorselessly on and at lunch, helped by dogged efforts from James Tomlinson and Danny Briggs, he had steered his side into a lead of 113.

On the way, he passed his 150 in 8hr 10min, from 362 balls with 17 fours. If he goes on to carry his bat, he will become the 17th Hampshire player to do so since the War and the first since Michael Brown, against Durham at the Rose Bowl in 2007.

12.30 from Andrew Collomosse at Lancashire v Hampshire

It’s a case of local by makes good this morning, the boy in question being Lancashire all-rounder Tom Smith.
Smith, 24, was born in Liverpool although he has lived up the road in Chorley for most of his life and learned his cricket with Chorley in the Northern League.

After taking three wickets in Hampshire’s first innings, Smith spoke about how much he enjoyed playing at Aigburth and he went on to prove it with an important 31 from 117 balls as Lancashire recovered from 144 for five to reach 398 in their first innings.

And after claiming three of the five Hampshire wickets to fall yesterday, Smith has removed Michael Bates, Dominic Cork and Chris Wood, all clean bowled, this morning, giving him a nine-wicket match haul for the first time.

11.30 from Andrew Collomosse at Lancashire v Hampshire

Liverpool has once again been blessed with glorious sunshine for the final day of what, by any standards, has been a fine game of Championship cricket.

The signs are that there will be another crowd of around 1,500 today — and they are hoping for over 3,000 for tomorrow’s 40-over tussle with Worcestershire.

So three good days in the bag so far and supporters have, for the most part, tolerated one or two glitches that will need to be sorted before next season when Lancashire will play five of their eight home matches.here because of redevelopments at Old Trafford.

For starters, the temporary scoreboard used here has been totally inadequate, in terms of information and of viewing from several areas of the ground.

Liverpool CC have a perfectly good scoreboard which, we are told, can and should be upgraded for next season.The ground has two temporary stands, holding around 300 people, with the rest of the spectators using either their own portable seats or the many fold-up plastic chairs supplied by the club.

But clearly there needs to be more accommodation in temporary stands for next season’s programme.
Catering facilities in the pavilion and on the north side of the ground are adequate enough, with beer tent, snack bars and ice cream vans.

However there is no catering of any kind on the south side and no access from there to the facilities pavilion because the intervening area is used for corporate hospitality.

So all in all, this match should prove to be a useful dress rehearsal for 2011 and there are lessons to be learned for both Liverpool and Lancashire.